Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1978 [PAGE 517]

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

(January 18

T h e tuition issue is one about which we shall talk later today, and I will simply mention here that, in spite of the IBHE recommendations, it is clear that the two questions — "Whether or not an increase shall occur?" and "If so, how great shall the increase b e ? " — are far from settled. My only regret at this moment is that the careful and wise efforts made last year to remove this issue from the political arena and to place major responsibility for tuition decisions in the hands of governing boards seem now to be forgotten. I believe that what was a principle in 1977-78 is still a principle in 1978-79 and will continue to express that view. Before making the final point with regard to budget requests for operations and grants for FY 1979, let me speak very briefly about I B H E recommendations for capital improvements. It is generally understood that authorizations and thus appropriations for new capital projects in FY 1979 will be limited. While the IBHE staff recommends support of $125 million in new capital expenditures of which $22 million are in response to requests from the University of Illinois and $34 million are for the second phase of the Food Production and Research Program, it is unlikely that these totals will be realized. I t seems clear that the commitments to the Food Production and Research Program will be met and that some portion of the space remodeling, renovation, and repair (SR*) program will be funded. This entire area of concern is still under discussion, and little weight can be given to current recommendations related to capital improvements. My final comments relate to the salary portion of the IBHE recommendations. You know that at the January meeting of the IBHE I spoke vigorously in support of the salary recommendations which you approved in our budget request — salary increases averaging 10 percent for all University personnel. A copy of my remarks at that meeting follows these remarks. I have been somewhat surprised that some people would find it unusual or a sign of "giving in to pressure" that my comments about and actions on behalf of salary increases might be modified as a result of my conversations with members of the faculty of the University. One of my primary tasks is to represent the faculty of the University, and I hope always to be alert to and receptive to suggestions and criticisms from that primary constituency. But more than faculty members found the IBHE salary recommendations for increases averaging 8 percent, plus 2 percent for "low-paid employees," to be seriously deficient. In meetings with academic deans and directors as well as with representatives of our professional/administrative staff, the intensity of feeling about the failure of the IBHE to support salary increases at the 10 percent level was expressed to me. It is clear that our initial salary recommendations were justified when you approved them and are at least as fully justified today, and it is my hope that you will support my intention to continue to work on behalf of those justified increases. I will be pleased to respond to your questions or to hear your comments concerning this report.

Statement by John E. Corbally President, University of Illinois January 10,1978, Chicago

R e : FY 1979 Higher Education Budget Recommendations, Operations and Grants, Illinois Board of Higher Education Both the dollar figures of the IBHE budget recommendations for FY 1979 and the text in support of those dollar figures deserve the careful attention of the citizens of Illinois. The staff of the Illinois Board of Higher Education has worked long and hard to develop both the recommendations and the supporting material and has done so in full consultation with representatives of the systems and other higher education units in Illinois. While I recognize that some have already sug-